Give me a kiss!

I wanted my next bake to be something a bit different that could hopefully result looking more professional! My Mum thought about it overnight and in the morning she gave me two recipes: one for Little Mocha Kisses and one for Oaty Biscuits. I made oat biscuits a couple of months ago and they went horribly wrong so I picked the mocha kisses! They were from Rachel Allen’s Food for Living and I enjoy her programmes (am excited about the latest series due out all about baking!) so they sounded promising. The basic idea was that you made 50-60 little heart shaped coffee biscuits which you then sandwiched together with chocolate buttercream. Hmm...that’s not quite what happened here!

The dough was simple to make especially as I picked the option of whizzing it all in the magimix. You effectively just make an outblanced crumble mixture and add coffee and an egg! Rachel Allen added as a P.S. at the bottom of the recipe that the dough may be soft and could be frozen for 10 minutes to make it easier to handle. A strong understatement? Or perhaps just the fact it was very hot and muggy yesterday but my dough was extremely soft and definitely could not be rolled out. I doubted there would be room in my freezer so popped the mixture in the fridge and left it for 2 hours! I thought this would be enough but every time I tried to take it out it was completely sticky again in a minute! Eventually I gave up dealing with the sticky goop and shoved everything out the way in my freezer, split the dough into 2, wrapped each in baking parchment and left them in the freezer for 10 minutes. Sure enough it worked a treat! Should have followed the recipe from the start.

My rolling pin seems to still be in hiding and this really did cause problems. I tried dusting my water bottle but it just got stuck to the dough. I was really getting sick of this dough now so I just banged it out with my fist and got cutting! The hearts looked very sweet all lined up on their trays (lined with paper – I wasn’t taking any chances after my cookies!) but sometimes they tended to stretch out of shape on the journey from cutter to tray! I didn’t make 60 – probably about 25-30 but that may be because of my love of raw cookie dough :D

Although they may not look it, the ones above were cooked for 10 minutes! My Mum and I were wary of over cooking them so I took them out after the suggested 10 minutes. However it was soon clear they were nowhere near done so they went back in and finished cooking so by the end they had been done for the maximum 15 minutes suggested.

I haven’t yet sandwiched them together with the buttercream as it was late and just as hot by the time I finished them yesterday and to be honest I doubt I will as I’m busy today and off to Spain tomorrow! They are pleasant on their own but I was disappointed with the coffee taste. When I had eaten the raw dough the coffee taste had been perfect and distinct. I was fully expecting a strong coffee cookie but during cooking the coffee seemed to have completely cooked out! Is this possible? So, in the end I ended up with some rather plain shortbready-cookies, quite sweet looking and nice tasting but not exactly what I had intended!

Little Mocha Kisses

Makes about 25 kisses (I got 25-30 biscuits just before sandwiching together!)

175g (6oz) self raising flour
75g (3oz) caster sugar
75g (3oz) butter
2tsp instant coffee powder or granules (could be increased but don’t be put off by the strong raw dough!)
1tsp hot water (I used 2tbsp)
1 egg
For the chocolate icing: 50g (2oz) softened butter
100g (4oz) icing sugar
3tsp cocoa powder

1. Preheat the oven to 180’C/350’F/Gas Mark 4.

2. Place the flour, butter and sugar in a food processor and whiz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

3. In a cup of small bowl, mix the coffee with hot water, then add the egg and whisk to break up. Add this into the food processor and process until the dough comes together.

4. Freeze dough for 10 minutes.

5. Dust the work surface with icing sugar and then roll out the dough until it is 5mm (1/4 inch) thick and, using a small 4cm (1 ½ inch) long heart-shaped cutter, cut out 50-60 heart shapes.

6. Place them slightly apart on 2 baking trays (no need to grease) and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and slightly firm at the edges. Remove from the oven and carefully lift off the tray with a metal slice while they are still very hot to prevent them sticking. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

7. To make the chocolate icing – in a bowl using a wooden spoon (or in the food processor again) mix the soft butter, icing sugar an cocoa powder until it comes together. Use the icing to sandwich the cookies together. If you dip a table knife into hot water as you work, it helps the icing spread. Store in a box for 2-3 days.

Tomorrow morning I am going to Andalucia in Spain for 2 weeks so I wont be able to post. However, provided it works, I have scheduled a post for the Serious Ultimate Amazing Chocolate Brownies (my name!) so do check back! Hopefully when I get back I will be full of Spanish food and have lots of lovely pictures to share.

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

I gave in and made the icing!! But blogger is being funny so the pictures will be with the brownie post which hopefully will post itself (it is scheduled I am not just crazy!) on the 7th August!